Mask slipped as gunman looked at store’s CCTV

A MASKED gunman was caught after he looked at a security camera when the scarf covering his face slipped down during a raid on a Capital shop, a court has heard.

Christopher Petterson and an accomplice staged a robbery at Meadows Wine, in Melville Terrace, pointing handguns at the terrified mother and daughter working in the premises.

One victim, Isabella McMichael, 75, suffered chest pain after the raid and was rushed to hospital.

Petterson was quickly arrested for the raid, after police officers who had previous dealings with him recognised his face from photos taken from the CCTV.

Pettersson, 27, admitted assaulting proprietor Michelle Harrison and Mrs McMichael by brandishing a gun or imitation firearm, repeatedly demanding money and robbing them of about £300 on January 27 last year while acting with another, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday.

Advocate depute Hugh Irwin said Mrs McMichael occasionally helped her daughter in the shop. Both women were behind the counter when two men with their faces covered hurried in carrying handguns.

Pettersson, of Captain’s Road, Edinburgh, approached Mrs Harrison, 39, and pointed a gun at her and demanded: “Give me the money. Give me the notes. Give me the coins.”

His accomplice went towards her mother and shouted “we want the money” and pointed his weapon at her.

The prosecutor said the victims were “clearly menaced” by the weapons and opened the tills. Once the tills were emptied the pair fled.

Mr Irwin said: “The incident inside the shop was captured on CCTV footage which shows a close-up image of Pettersson, who had a scarf covering his face which then had fallen down, exposing part of his face.”

He said stills were produced from it “which show several images of Pettersson looking at the camera with his face only partially covered”.

“Three police officers who had prior involvement with the accused for other matters each identified Pettersson,” he added.

A woman who was at a stairway near to the shop had seen two males run to a black taxi, which appeared to be waiting for them, before driving off.

Police also received confidential information in the wake of the robbery naming Pettersson as one of the raiders.

Mr Irwin said there was no recovery of the money stolen.

He told Lord Bannatyne that both women have been “traumatised” by the events.

He said: “The robbery clearly had an immediate and serious effect on Mrs McMichael, who suffered severe chest pain.”

He said she was admitted to the ERI and kept in for several days for observation.